What happened to Miami Norland Senior HS coach Keon Smith? Gunman allegedly guns down 49-year-old

Beloved Miami Norland Senior High School football coach Keon Smith (49) was fatally shot in Opa-locka early Monday morning. The shooting occurred at approximately 1 a.m. at an apartment building located at 2852 Northwest 132nd Street, as reported by detective Andre Martin, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade County police.

Opa-locka police discovered Smith with at least one gunshot wound upon arrival. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedics confirmed that Smith was dead at the scene. The incident saddened the whole community, especially at Miami Norland Senior High School, where he served as the quarterbacks coach for the past two years.

Elmo Lugo, a spokesman for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, noted that Smith was not a teacher at the school, but his influence as a coach was worth mentioning. The school even provided mental health crisis counselors on Monday following the tragedy to support students and staff grappling with the loss.

Smith's brother, Edward Scamp, shared with CBS Miami that coaching was Smith's lifelong passion.

"Smith has been a football coach for his whole life, like 25-plus years," Scamp said. "Miami Norland had one of the best teams in Miami-Dade last year, and my brother, Keon Smith, had been in football all his life. He graduated from Miami Springs. I'd like to say he's been coaching 25-plus years."

Scamp remembered his brother as a beloved figure in the world of football.

"He had been around football all his life and was a great person, a great coach, a great role model."

The Miami-Dade Homicide Bureau has taken the lead in the investigation, and homicide detectives from Miami-Dade Police were seen canvassing the neighborhood. However, no suspects have been identified as of Monday night.

To encourage the flow of information, Miami Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for tips that lead to the arrest of the individual or individuals responsible for Smith's death.

Brother recounts harrowing story of Keon Smith's fatal shooting

Edward Scamp narrated the tragic events leading to the death of Keon Smith. He said the incident occurred due to the gunman's discontent with Smith's presence at an apartment with a woman.

According to Scamp, the shooter initially confronted Smith by escorting him out of the apartment and warning him not to return. However, Smith reportedly re-entered the apartment, and it unfortunately sealed his fate.

The shooter allegedly moved to a second-floor balcony, and fired, striking Smith in the back of the head. The woman who had been in the apartment reportedly called for help as the gunman fled the scene.